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May 22, 1928. 1,670,485

S. J. STRID DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 7 Hit alllllllllllllllllllll' May 22, 1928. 1,670,485

s. J. STRID DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O9 @M fly 7 ZZZ Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SVEIN J". STRID, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISlYI FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS.

Application filed September 17, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanism for refrigerator cars.

An object of the invention is to provide a door operating mechanism for refrigerator cars of simple design, wherein the shaft of the operating mechanism is given a rolling movement parallel to the face of the door, and wherein the shaft co-operates with keepers on the car, the keepers being designed to prevent rotation in a reverse or opening direction of the shaft due to vibrations of the car when in service, or to other causes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a refrigerator car, showing the door thereof and my improvements in con nection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal, sectional view, partly broken away, corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. And Figure 3 is a horizontal, sectional view on an enlarged scale, corresponding to the upper plane of the lower door keeper, showing the keeper in plan.

In said drawings, 10 and 11 designate hinged refrigerator car doors, the latter being the last one to be closed, said doors being provided with beveled meeting edges as indicated at 12 in the usual manner, and suitable packings are provided on said meeting edges and also around the outer edges of the doors and door frame. As is customary, the operating shaft is mounted on the last door to be closed, that is, the door 11 in the structure as shown. The doors 10 and 11 are swingingly supported on the usual hinge members 12-12.

The improved door operating mechanism comprises, broadly, a shaft A; a pivoted operating handle 13; a pair of guide brackets C-C; and a pair of keepers D-D.

The operating shaft A, as shown, comprises an intermediate connecting bar 13 of rectangular cross-section, end castings li ht and gear wheel castings 1515. Each end casting 1-1 is forked as indicated at 16 to receive the corresponding end of the operating bar 13 and is secured to the bar by rivets extending through the forked portion and the casting. At the outer end, each end casting is of cylindrical corss-section, as indicated at 17, thereby providing end Serial No. 56,338.

members adapted to co-operate with the corresponding upper and lower keepers D. Intermediate the ends thereof each member 14 is formed of angular cross-section as indicated at 18. Each gear member comprises a gear proper 19 and a sleeve section. The gear proper and the sleeve section are pro vided with a rectangular opening adapted to receive the corresponding rectangular section 18 of one of the end members 14. It will be evident that by providing the gear members with rectangular openings adapted to receive the corresponding rectangular sections of the end members relative rotation of the gears and end members is prevented. In order to retain the gear members in fixed position against longitudinal movement. on the end members, the same are preferably pinned to the latter as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The operating shaft is supported andv guided by the upper and lower guide brackets 0, each of which comprises two members 20 and 21. The member 20 is in the form of a flat plate having a longitudinally disposed rack 22 at the inner edge thereof. The member 21 of each bracket is in the form of a strap having a longitudinally disposcd,central section 23 spaced from the plate 20 so as to provide a longitudinal guide for the corresponding end member 1&1. At the opposite ends, the strap 21 is provided with inwardly extending lugs 24-24 by which it is secured to the plate 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the plate 20 and strap 21 are preferably held together and secured to the door by a pair of bolts extending through the lugs 2+1, plate 20 and the door proper. A central guiding bracket in the form of a strap 25 may also be provided as shown in Fig. 1 to co-operate with the rectangular section of the operating shaft A.

Secured to the lintel and threshold of the door opening are keepers D-D hereinbefore referred to, each of which has a pair of elongated parallel walls 26 and 27 extending at an angle to the plane of the side of the car. At the inner end of the keeper the side walls are offset as indicated at 28 and 29, these offset portions being substantially parallel to the plane of the side wall of the car. The wall sections 2( 28 and 2729 define a camming guide slotwhich co-operates \viththe cylindrical portion of the corresponding end member 14. Each keeper D is fixed to the side of the car by bring it into the'position shown in Fig. 1

bolts 30 extending through lianges'iil and 32 on the keepers, the flange 81 of the lower kee er being extended be end the meetinm edges of the doors and having a pivoted latch member 33 mountedthereon adapted to co-operate with a wear platell tired to the corresponding lower corner of the door 10.

The operating shaft A is provided with theusual pivoted handle member l3 tor .rotatingjthe. same, the handle 13 being prefer ably pivoted to the rectangular section 13 of the shaft.

In mounting tl e operating mechanism on thedoor, the end members 1.4 ofthe shaft A are lined to the bar 13 and the gear memberslo secured to the end members [14 before the operating shattis mounted on the door. After the shaft A has been placed in position, the plates 20 of the brackets having first been secured on the door, the straps 21 1 are placed in position and bolted to the plates 20 and the door.

The operation of my improved door op.- erating mechanism. is as follows, assuming the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. The shaft A is rotated by pulling the handle B outwardly away from the door. Due to the gears 15 meshing with the racks 22,. the shaft A..will roll along the surface of the door. During this movement oi the shalt, the end portions 17 thereof will be brought into engagement with the inclined walls 26 of the keepers D, thereby camming the door outwardly asthe shaft is rolled along. This action will continue until the cylindrical ends 17 of the shaft leave the slots of the keepers as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the door may be freely swung to open position. It will be evident that during the opening operation the shaft A will be rotated through an angle of 180 bringing .the handle B into flat engagement with the outer side ofthe door 11in a position opposite. to that shown in Fig. 1. To close the door, the same is swung inwardly until the upper and lower cylindrical ends 1701f the shaft are brought into alinernent with a lhe entrance to the slots in the top and bottom keepersD. Uponswinging the handle outwardly, the shaft A will be rotated in the opposite direction to that here inbefore described, efi' ecting rolling movement of the shaft in. a reverse direction to that which it had during the door opening operation. During its rolling movement,

the end portions of the shaft will cam on the inclined walls 27 of the top and bottom keepers, thus causing the door to be forced inwardly. This action will continue until the end portions of the shaft roll onto the straight walls 29' of the keepers In this position, the door will be tightly closed. A slight furthermovernent of the handle to will cause the'cylindrical ends to move inwardly on the walls 29 a sullicient distance to prevent accidental disengagement oi the end members withthese wall this position being indicated in the full lines in Fig. 3. Inasmuch as the walls 29 of the keepers are parallel to the outer side of the. car and also parallel to the plane of the outer surface of the door 11., when fully closed, there will be no tendency for the shaft to have an cidental retrograde movement. In other words, the outwardly acting forces, when the doorsare closechdue to the end sections 17 of the shaft engaging the walls 29 will not have any components which act ,in lateral directions.

While I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred mannerof carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative, and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1 claim: I

1. A device of the character described, the combination with a member having a door opening and a door; of means for eflecting movement of the door 111 opening and C105."

ingg directions including an operating .shait mounted on the door a keeper comprising a portion adapted tobe-secured tosaid member and including spaced substantially parallel walls defining a cam slot open at one end to permitentrance .a ndretraction. of an end portion of said shattto said camlslot, the major portions of bothof said parallel walls extending at an angle to the plane of Said member, and the remaining portions of both of said walls extending parallel with the plane defined by said member.

2. As an articleot manufacture, keeper comprising a flat portion iaidapted to be secured to a door member and including parallel walls defining a cam slot open at one end to permit entrance and retraction of a door operating member the major portions of both of said walls extending at an angle III) to said fiat portion, and the remaining portions of both of said walls eicte -iding parallel with respect thereto.

As on article of manutacture, an elon-. gated keeper comprising a portion to be adapted to be secured to a door member, and including spaced substantiallyparallel walls ands bottom wall defining a cam slot having the major portion thereot inclined toward said flat portion, and another portion ex tending substantially parallel with respect to said fiat portion, the extremities oli'said walls remote from said flat portion. terminating to provide an entrance to said cam slot.

l. In a device of the character described. the combination with a member having a door openingand a pivoted door; operating mechanism on said door, including a rotary shaft projecting beyond the edge of the door, and co-operating devices on the door and shaft for causing the latter to roll transversely of the door in a plane substantially parallel with the plane defined by the face of said door when said shaft is rotated; and keeper means adapted to co-operate with the projecting end of said shaft for effecting movement of said door in opening and closing directions said keeper means comprising a portion adapted to be secured to said member and including spaced substantially parallel Walls defining a cam slot open at one end to permit entrance and retraction of the projecting end portion of said shaft with reference to said cam slot, the major portions of both of said parallel Walls extending at an angle to the plane defined by the face of said member, and adapted when traversed by the shaft end to effect opening and closing movement of said door, the remaining portions of both of said Walls extending parallel with the plane defined by the face of said member and adapted for the reception of the shaft and following the movement of the door in a closing direction to maintain said shaft against accidental movement in a door opening direction.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of September, 1925.

SVEN J. STRID. 

